Coming Back to Life
by Vintage Tea Party
Summary: This is where he came back to life. This is where he fell in love with her over dead bodies and murder cases. And he hoped that this would be where their life together would begin.


**Well, I got a case of the shippy Henry and Jo feels and for once I was able to turn it into a fic! This is my first time writing them as a couple and I hope you like it.**

Jo's heels clicked loudly against the hard linoleum floors as she made her way through the nearly empty halls that led to the morgue. On a Saturday night there weren't many people here, only those that absolutely needed to be here, and the building was practically silent. She shouldn't be here either; she certainly wasn't dressed for work.

She was dressed for a fancy restaurant which is where her and Henry were supposed to be right now. But, unsurprisingly, he'd called just as she had been ready to head out the door and had asked her to meet him here instead. He had claimed he just had one thing he needed to check on 'real quick' for the case they had been investigating. He'd promised that it wouldn't take long and that they would leave as soon as she arrived. For once, she was going to hold him to that. She didn't necessarily mind putting off a date for a case but she didn't normally dress up this much for their dates and she never dressed like this to go to work. Besides Henry had made reservations this time and if they didn't get there soon, they'd lose them.

She'd like to say that this didn't happen often but honestly their time together was often interrupted by one case or another. It seemed there was always a call on Jo's phone or a train of thought in Henry's mind which seemed near impossible to settle down that would interfere during their personal time together. It had been hard for them to make that transition from a working relationship into a romantic one. They needed to set boundaries to separate these now two different aspects of their relationship if they wanted to keep them separate. But that was something neither one of them was very good at. Their professional partnership was so much a part of who they were as a team it would never be removed. And she honestly didn't mind. Whether it was working a case or spending an evening out she always had a good time whenever she was with Henry. She was pretty sure that they could probably do just about anything together and that would be the case.

They'd always enjoyed each other's company and most of that time had been while working. After all, most of their relationship had been made up of their professional partnership. Their official status as a dating couple was still very new. They'd only been going out for about three months. It had happened not long after the dust had settled from him revealing his secret to her. It was just as they had started to find a new normal after that revelation that they'd begun to find a new something happening between them.

Neither one of them had known what was happening or what they were beginning to feel for each other even though, apparently, it had been painfully obvious to everyone around them. It seemed that no one had been able to stand the tension or the flirting between them that the two people in question hadn't even been aware was happening. As it happened they'd been tricked into having that first date. They had been elaborately led to believe that they were investigating a case, only to end up in a restaurant together and alone, and knowing they been duped. Everybody had been in on it. Hanson, Lucas, Abe, even the Lieutenant had all had a hand in tricking them into that first date and incidentally admitting their feelings for each other as well.

She smiled as she remembered how hard it had been for them to start and how much she owed everyone for helping her and Henry get over that awkward first step. Had it been left up to the two of them they probably never would have done it. They'd both had so much fear and insecurity that had held them back. But once they'd finally taken the leap and moved their relationship in that new direction they had quickly fallen into a deep relationship. Having already been friends and partners for so long their romantic relationship had been comfortable and easy from the start. It felt like it should have always been this way and she wondered why she had run away from it for so long. It made her kick herself that she'd waited so long to have it.

When she finally made it to the morgue she had her arguments all ready to give him when he inevitably made excuses for why he need to stay here and work for a little while longer. Working on cases was all well and good and they were both a little too devoted to their work at times but tonight she just wanted to spend time with him. No work, no distractions, just the two of them. She hadn't seen him all day and though that was an embarrassingly short amount of time for her to be missing him, she did. She had worked herself up by the time she'd arrive at the morgue so much in fact that she did not care what he had to say; they weren't going to work tonight.

But all thoughts and arguments she'd previously had completely left her the instant she pushed the doors open and saw the room before her. The room was silent and empty both of the living and otherwise. The harsh florescent lights in the room were all off leaving the room darkened but the room was lit by numerous votive candles. There were several arranged on each of the examination tables and they reflected off of the metal in a unexpectedly stunning display. There was also a collection of rose petals running down the middle of the room.

Henry was such a romantic; only he could manage to make a morgue look so beautiful. He was the only one who would even think to try. He was always doing things like this. But it never ceased to surprise Jo. She hoped it never would. He was always doing things to make her feel special and she loved every second of it.

She was still taking in the room when he came out of his darkened office. He smiled as he walked slowly towards her. He was dressed in a tux and though the restaurant they were supposed to be going to was a nice one it was nowhere near nice enough to warrant a tux. It became obvious to her that they probably weren't going out as he had told her. She began to assume that this was where they were going to spend their evening and that tux was just for her. Though what exactly they were going to do here wasn't obvious to her yet.

"Surprised?" he asked with a sly smile as he studied her surprised expression. Just as much as she liked being surprised and spoiled he likewise being the one who caused it.

"Yeah," she said nodding. "Just a little. I take it we're not going out."

"No, sorry. That was a bit of ruse," he admitted. "This is our destination for the evening. Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding? What other girl is lucky enough to have a boyfriend that would decorate a morgue just for her?" Jo teased as she walked up to him and grabbed him be the lapels of his coat pulling him against her body. "And as weird as that might sound to any other person, it actually looks wonderful in here."

"_You_ look wonderful," he said in a low voice staring down at her, adoration in his eyes. It hadn't been long since they'd started going out on dates and she'd been able to start dressing up, to stop having to conceal her looks whenever they were together. It wasn't long since he had gained the privilege of being able to look at her and see how beautiful she really was. He took every opportunity to tell her so and every time she knew how much he meant it. She knew he'd always been able to see it even when she was 'concealing' but now he could actually tell her so.

"I missed you," she said feeling a sudden rush of passion and pulled him in for a kiss. She made sure that he knew just how much she meant it too and when she pulled back he had a slightly dazed expression on his face. She still couldn't believe that she was allowed to be the one to make him look that way. To miss him, to love him, to finally be able to express those things was indescribable.

"Well…" he said sounding a little out of breath. "Maybe I should spend a little more time away from you. Absence apparently does make the heart grow fonder."

"Don't you dare," she ordered and he snuck in and took another quick kiss

"So, what's going on?" she asked with a smile.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Come on, Henry," she said with a small nudge. "Even for you this is out of the norm."

He glanced down briefly and when he looked back up he looked at little nervous. "I have some exciting news."

"Are you sure? You look a little nervous."

"I'm sure. It's good news."

"Alright, well don't keep me waiting. Spill."

He stepped back slightly and reached in his pocket, taking out an envelope. He held it in his hands staring at it for a moment before handing it to her.

"What's this?" she asked curiously as she took it from him.

"Just open it," he urged, anxious excitement in his voice.

Jo opened the envelope and took the letter out. The letter head showed that it had come from New York-Presbyterian University Hospital. She had heard of it before. It was supposed to be the best hospital in the city and one of the best in entire country. She arched a curious eyebrow at him briefly, her curiosity growing, before her eyes dropped back to the letter reading over it quickly.

Jo looked up at him, her mouth dropped open in surprise when she realized what it was. "You're…going to be a doctor again?" she asked in surprise a smile on her face as she looked up at him. The letter was an offer letter. The best hospital in the city and they were offering Henry a physician position.

"Yes," he said the smile on his face growing when he saw her reaction.

"Henry, I can't believe it. I didn't know you were thinking about practicing again."

"I know I probably should have discussed it with you beforehand, since it's such a big step, but I wanted to surprise you. I hoped you're pleased."

"I _am_ pleased. Of course I'm happy," she said reaching to hug him tight.

She was happy, so happy, that Henry was going to be a 'real' doctor again. There had been many times during their partnership that she had thought he wasn't where he should be. When emergencies had occurred and he had stepped in and saved a life she had gotten to catch glimpses of his true ability as a physician. Even just in those few times she'd been able to see that he had been a good doctor, one who was skilled and one who had the true heart of a healer, who actually had cared about his patients. He'd worked with such passion in those times and she'd found herself in awe of him each time it had happened.

While he had also been an excellent ME, the best there was, and the NYPD had often benefited from his talents it had often made her sad that he wasn't a doctor anymore. She had always known that something terrible must have driven him to turn him back on all of that when it was obviously such a big part of him. She had always hoped that someday he would be able to lay down whatever that burden was.

"I was afraid you'd be upset," he admitted. "Since this means that our professional partnership will be coming to an end."

"Of course I'm going to miss working with you terribly," she said sincerely. "But Henry, you were born to be a doctor. I know that's where you belong."

Henry hugged her back and she could tell he was happy, truly joyful about this. She could never be upset she when she knew how much joy this brought him. Not when he'd experienced so much pain. Not when she'd seen how far he'd had to come and hard he'd had to fight to get to this place.

"I have you to thank for all of this, you know," he said quietly, almost whispering it to her.

"Me? What did I do?"

He pulled back only slightly so he could look at her but his arms still held her close against him. He took a deep breath and looked seriously at her when he answered. "You asked me once 'why death?' why I was an ME, why it all fascinated me so much and I didn't give you an answer then. Even now that you really know me…I still haven't really answered that question."

Henry looked down for a moment and when he looked back up at her there were tears in his eyes. "I became an ME because I wanted to die. Living hurt and I didn't want to do it anymore. Things were so dark for me at that time that life wasn't worth living and I was desperate for it to be over. I was envious of the dead and I wanted to spend all my time trying to figure out how I could end it."

Tears filled Jo's own eyes as he spoke. She'd never known. After he'd told her about his condition she'd suspected but he hadn't brought it up and she hadn't wanted to ask. It wasn't often that Henry talked so openly about the worse times of his life. Even now that he could be honest with her about his immortality he still didn't dwell on those times or his dark pursuits. It wasn't often she got to see it and when she did she could see how terribly painful those times had been for him.

But now he smiled at her, his expression completely changing. "But that's all changed now. I don't want to die anymore. I want live as much as I can and I want to help others do the same."

She smiled and leaned in close to him. "You are going to be a fantastic doctor," she said giving him a light kiss on the lips.

She was surprised when he pulled back away from her. She gave him a curious look as he took both of her hands in his. "I know it might seem strange to do this here but I suppose there isn't anything about us that could be considered traditional," he said with a smile, looking like he had a secret.

"Henry…what are you doing?" she asked, nervous excitement boiling up inside of her as she was starting to realize what was happening. She had thought all of this tonight was like the other often romantic, sometimes strange, evenings he frequently planned for them. But this was something new entirely.

"I wanted to bring you here because…even though this is where most lives end, this is where mine began again."

He smiled, that cute half smile that was her favorite, as his eyes took on that reminiscent look they always did when he was remembering the past. "It was September 22, 2014. You walked into this morgue and you brought me back to life.

"I didn't know it of course. You were painfully hung over and spitting mad when I wouldn't say that train conductor died of a heart attack."

Jo laughed and pressed a hand to her forehead briefly, embarrassed at the memory. "Yeah and I thought you were a jerk for pointing it out in front of everybody too."

He smiled at the memory but turned serious again. "I thought you were just like all the other cops, who came in and got what they needed and left again. I never expected that you would request me as your partner. I never knew you would allow me to become your friend," Henry paused here, tears starting to tinge his words. "And I never could have dreamed that I could ever be real with you, that I could show you who I actually was and that you would not only accept me but that you would still want me. I never imagined you would love me in spite of it all."

Jo reached a hand up to Henry's face when she saw tears in his eyes and she knew he was remembering back to when his secret had come out. She knew what had happened with Nora and Abigail and she knew how afraid he'd been all along to tell her and how he was sure he'd lose her when he did. That time had been difficult. And she almost had lost him then. He'd been so afraid of what she'd say or do that when the truth finally came out he'd run from her, he'd tried to push her away. He had been so sure she'd leave him that he'd tried to beat her to it. It had taken a long time to make him see that she had no plans of leaving. Even now he still needed the reminders.

"I do," she said nodding. "I do love you." He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned against her hand, soaking up her touch and drawing on that reassurance he had longed for for so long. Then he opened his eyes and took her hand back in his again.

"I hope this won't seem too sudden since we've only been dating for few months. But if I were to be painfully honest, I would have to admit that I have slowly been following in love with you, Detective, since that very first day," he said with a grin.

She laughed slightly at the use of her title. He still used it so much of the time part habit but part teasing like he was right now. Tears were starting to fill her eyes. She knew where this was going and she was ready. She was _so _ready for this.

"That day we started a partnership, that turned into friendship, that turned into something more. I came back to life in this morgue, I fell in love with you in this morgue, and I hope…that this is where our life will begin."

He paused and let go of her hands. She placed a hand over her mouth in happy shock as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a small red velvet box. He bent down on one knee and opened it up. "Detective Jo Martinez, will you marry me?"

She laughed and cried all at the same time. "Yes. Yes I will marry you Dr. Henry Morgan."

He smiled and she could see he was only just holding tears back himself. He always did get so emotional. Not that she minded. It was one of the things she loved most about him, one of the things that made her a better person for knowing him. He loved her so much and because he always wore his heart on his sleeve she always had the privilege of seeing it.

He took the ring out of the box and gently slid it on her finger, a finger that had been bare for so long now. It had been a long time since she'd worn her last ring on a chain around her neck and even longer since it had belonged on her finger. Though it had only been a few years since she'd lost Sean she had prepared herself to never wear a ring on this finger again. She'd prepared herself never to fall in love again, to never belong to someone again.

Now that Henry's ring was on her finger, now that they were in love, now that she was his, she realized how much she had ached at the thought of never having this again. And how incredibly happy she was to have it again. Now it wasn't him who was getting the most emotional. She cried as she stared down at her hand, hardly believing what she was seeing, surprised at how great it felt to have it there.

He stood back up and came close to her again. "You alright?" he asked cautiously. It wasn't often that she cried in front of him. Only extreme times of upset had been able to do that. Happy tears were even rarer and it was entirely possible that he had never seen them before so she could easily understand his uneasiness.

"Alright? I'm much more than alright," she said looking at him. "I never thought I could ever be this happy again. When I met you...I was so sad, so much, I thought it was the kind that could never ever end."

He smiled at her, ardor in his eyes as he leaned in and kissed her just deep enough to show her how much be loved her and just long enough to make her yearn for more. He always seem to find that spot perfectly; he really was the best kisser. It was perfect reassurance of his presence and his promise that he never would leave her.

She almost begged for him to come back when he broke apart from her, already at his mercy. Her heart certainly was alive and beating again. She never let on just how easy it would be for him to have her exactly where he wanted her. His eyes never left hers as he backed away, a coy smile on his face as he moved to where a record player had been set up. She hadn't even noticed it there in the corner but it seemed he thought of everything.

He set a record to play and she smiled when she heard the Michael Buble record she'd bought him for Christmas start to play. It had been a compromise of sorts. It was much like the old records he liked to listen to and it fulfilled her need to have him own at least one record that was made in the 21st century.

He walked back towards her wrapping one arm low on her back to hold her close and taking her right hand in the other. He studied it for a second before he raised it to his lips. He gently kissed the faint scars she still had on the back of her hand from that first case together.

"I can't believe that I set you on fire the first time we ever went out on a case and somehow I still get to marry you," he said with a smile shaking his head. "Glad I didn't scare you off."

"Takes a lot more than that to scare me off."

"That I do know," he said looking at her fondly.

"If anything it was actually a turning point for me."

"How's that?"

"I don't know, it kind made me like you more."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "Who would have imagined?"

"After I got over the initial shock of it I was able to see you saved my life. In more ways than one...you were strange and exciting and for the first time, in a very long time, I felt something genuine," she looked up at him meaningfully for a few seconds before she smiled again. "We're kind of messed up, you know that?"

He laughed. "Good thing we have each other."

"Yeah," she agreed. He pulled her close and she nuzzled her face against his chest as they slowly started to sway back and forth with the music.

"What are you thinking?" he asked curiously after several songs had passed.

"Just thinking about incredible it all is."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a smile.

"I think we are the only two people that could have fallen in love in morgue, surrounded by death."

"I think it's the only way it ever would happened. We're both pretty stubborn."

She laughed quietly. "Yeah, we are, aren't we? We sure didn't make it easy on ourselves."

"I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"Neither would I."


End file.
